


Meeting at the Crossroads

by WavesOver



Category: Fruits Basket, Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Fluff and Humor, Gen, Honda does shit 2020, Kyo needs friends 2020, Pre-Relationship, Warning: Attempts of Humor may appear, a Kyo/Yugi friendship fic, dumb humor may happen, each group marvels at what the other considers normal, most of this story is fluff, pinning and soft emotions, self-indulgent fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-22
Updated: 2020-11-05
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:34:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,766
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22365697
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WavesOver/pseuds/WavesOver
Summary: Two friends meet at a point of rest before they face difficult events.AKA Kyo and friends(plus annoying cousins) go to Domino to meet the friend that no one knew he had.
Relationships: Honda Tohru & Sohma Kyou, Honda Tohru/Sohma Kyou (implied), Sohma Kyou & Motou Yuugi
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Just a little side note:
> 
> _ This is when the Pharaoh talks _

“Oh, what’s this?” Tohru said as she looked at the letter in her hand. It was one of the few days where she was home before either Kyo or Yuki, so she got the mail only to find this letter with the rest. It was addressed to Kyo, from another city, Domino if she’s reading it right, from a Yugi Mouto. She felt a bit curious about what was in there but she could just ask Kyo when he comes home. She then got started on dinner, using some of the vegetables that Yuki picked from his garden.

****

“Miss Tohru,” Yuki said when he came in with Kyo giving a casual hey. Tohru in turn gave a small greeting back as she finished up dinner.

“Really? Is that what you’re going to say to her after she had just made dinner?”

“Hey, last I checked, I help her out when I’m around. You can’t even cook rice without it turning it into a science experiment.”

“Oh, and when was that?”

“Please, boys… It’s too early for this,” Shigure whined as he came down the stairs, covering his mouth as he let out a huge yawn.

“IT’S SIX IN THE EVENING, YOU DUMB DOG!!!”

“Oh, Kyo, a letter came for you,” Tohru piped in while she brought the letter to him

Kyo stopped as he stared at her with shock that slowly grew to fear.

“Oooo, is it a _love letter~,_ ” Shigure said when he took the letter, to Tohru’s shock and Kyo’s horror.

“Let’s see… Dear Kyo hope your trainings going O.K., yada yada yada, blah blah blah, sorry can’t make it for the break, come over if you can. Oh Kyo, I didn’t know that you were intimate with this Yugi Girl,” the smug writer grinned as he dodged Kyo’s punches.

“Yugi?” Tohru asked, curiosity temporarily overpowering her after the abridged reading.

Kyo’s face bloomed red before he turned his attention to Tohru, with Shigure slipping by unpunched as Yuki was frozen since the letter was announced.

“Yeah, he’s just a friend I have. We sometime get together on one of the breaks but mostly we just send letters.”

“Wow, that’s great. Is he from a tournament?”

“No, we met at the hot springs when we were kids and we just stayed in touch.”

“Really, that’s amazing! Maybe we could meet him.” Tohru perked up at the notion that someone else could see how wonderful Kyo is.

“Um... Yeah. But he lives all the way in Domino, and he’s not coming here anytime soon,” Kyo said as he turned his head away, hoping to hide his embarrassment.

“Well, maybe we could visit him?” Tohru said, unaware of the danger in such a statement.

“We?” Yuki said, finally getting out of his personal blue screen after learning that Kyo has had a friend for years that he never knew about.

“Yeah, it’d be really nice to see someone so close to Kyo at break. Ah, that’s if you’d want us there?” Tohru squeaked, her brain catching up with her words.

Kyo looked into her soft timid eye and, taking a deep breath, knew that he could not deny her this.

“Sure.”

****

“ _So, you have a friend coming over?”_ the spirit said as he read over the letter in Yugi’s had.

“Yeah, it’s really exciting. This is the first time that’s he’s coming over. Usually we stay at his Sensei’s place.”

“ _Ah, but it says that he’s bringing some others along. Do we have enough room?”_

“Don’t worry, his family’s pretty well off, that’s actually how we met.”

“ _Oh_?”

“Yeah, one of his cousins owns a hot springs and my parents and I were there while he was. He’ll probably stay at a hotel while he’s in the area.”

" _Well, I'm sure they'll have a good time with you as their_ _guide. "_


	2. Chapter 2

“So where are you going with the prince and Orangetop on break?”

Tohru turned to her best friends in the whole world, excited for the trip.

“Oh, we’re going to Domino City to visit a friend of Kyo’s,” she said with an innocent smile. That smile turned to panic as Arisa and Saki both looked at her in shock. Is.. is there something bad about that?

She got her answer as Arisa marched right up to Kyo’s desk and punched straight down in front of Kyo’s face.

” _You_ are going to get us a pair of tickets, food, housing, and whatever we need on this trip, _got it_?” Arisa said with a sharp grin on her face.

“The hell would I do that for?”

“Because _YOU_ are putting Tohru in grave danger and Hana and I are going to do everything in our power to make sure she’s safe.”

“What danger? That damn rat and I would never-“

“It’s not you two I’m worried about!”

Kyo looked at her in bafflement.

“Domino has a reputation of being one of the most violent cities in Japan. Gang violence. Corrupt cops. Deathtrap Amusement parks. Not to mention all the supernatural activities there.”

Even to this day, Kyo will refuse to admit that Saki had scared him so bad that he screamed like a little girl.

“M-Maybe I should just stay home then. I-I don’t want to trouble anyone.”

Kyo looked at her and knew that he would rather deal with a whole year with her bodyguards breathing down his neck than to see her disappointed.

“ _sign_ I’ll give you the boarding times. But you’d better pack your own bags, got it?”

****

After that there were whines, pleas, begging, and sobbing, before Yuki and Kyo gave up and had Shigure join them.

In a flash it was the big day, with everyone’s suitcases above their seats as they boarded the long train. It was a fairly uneventful ride, with all the kids playing card games, with Kyo even bring out an old game that the _mysterious_ Yugi gave him for his birthday last year.

“So, the main goal of the game is to get all four of the tokens into their own triangle?” Tohru said, a simple smile on her face as Kyo eagerly explained the rules.

“Pretty much. But you have to move,” he then moved the token in a clockwise fashion

“Why can’t you just go directly there after you get out?”

“Cause then the game would be too short, damn rat.”

“Wow, where is it from?” Tohru piped up, trying to keep the two boys from fighting. Arisa was tossing the dice around while Shigure and Saki looked at their guides.

Kyo turned to fact her before pulling out a letter from the box.

“It says that it’s Ludo but it’s based on a game from 9th century India called Pachisi. Other countries have their own name for it including Chińczyk, Petits Chevaux, six mi Ludo, and Sorry.”

“Wow, it’s sounds like Yugi’s really smart when it comes to games.”

“Well, my dear Tohru, that’s to be expected from someone from the gaming capital of Japan,” Shigure gloated with a knowing grin, as if he didn’t read that from the guidebook in his hand.

“Really?” Tohru said, in her own, happy way.

“Yes. There’s also a water park/amusement park,”

“Where there was a bomb threat.”

“A world-class museum,”

“Where the previous owner was found dead in his office.”

“And a lovely pier.”

“Where gangs are known to hang out.”

He gave a pointed look to his person peanut gallery.

“Is there a ghost section in your lovely guide.”

“There’s a whole chapter dedicated to the ‘bloody avenger of Domino’, that is, if he’s real.”

It was then noticed by the group that Tohru started stiffening up at started to look pale.

“Hey, don’t worry. I’m sure that this Yugi guy’s knows how to avoid trouble. I mean he’s lived there his whole life there, you know.

****

Hiroto Honda was waiting at the train station with Yugi to pick up his friend from out of town. Honestly, he never knew that he _had_ a friend outside of Anzu, well before them, of course. He was the only one who could make it, due to Anzu’s practice, Jou’s work, Ryou’s Monster World session, and all of Otogi’s baggage.

“Are you sure that this is the right station?”

“Yeah, I called him yesterday just to be sure.”

“...Then why do you two use letters?”

“Well, Kyo often goes to the mountains to train and I thought that he’d like the company while he’s there. Not to mention that we started when we were little kids who thought having a pen pal was cool. Oh, that reminds me, Kyo said that he’s bringing some cousins and friends here,” Yugi’s smile was huge, which was quite typical of him.

Greattt… more people to entertain. Who even has their cousins with them for a vacation?

“Oh, there he is. Kyo!” Yugi yelled as he waved at someone behind.

Well, might as well face the music. He turned to see… a goddess.

There she was, a silver beauty surrounded by mortal men. She was in close company with a yankee, a goth, and a girl so nondescript that she would be a background character in an anime. Also in her company was a refined man in a kimono and a model in grudge wear. He would feel threatened but despite their different hair colors and styles, he could tell that they were related. He almost moved before some asshats came to steal her away.

“Hey, babe, why don’t you ditch the ghoul crew and get with a rea-hehh…”

The goddess put a hand on the jerks throat before something happened that made him question his sexuality for years after the fact.

“What did you say?” a smile that was a sharp as steel was on his? face before he tossed his victim in a masterful move that belittles his feminine appearance. The ‘refined man’ in turn was laughing his ass off, ruining any illusion of sophistication that he had of the older man.

“Kyo!”

Yugi launched himself onto the grunge model, who returned it.

“Hey, shortstuff,” damn it, Yugi never said that his friend was some kind of impossibly hot guy.

“Wow, never expected a guy like that to be _your_ friend, Orangetop,” the blond teased which he bristled at.

“Yes, especially one with such unique waves,” Dripping in Black added.

The third girl in the party just gave the dopiest smile before bowing to Yugi, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Yugi-san. I’m Tohru Honda. Thank you so much for being such a dear friend to Kyo.”

Yugi’s face turned redder than a candy apple as he greeted the girl in kind and introductions are made… until it came to him.

“Oh, who’s your friend, Yugi?” Brownie said.

Yugi’s eyes widen as he just figured out what he had been trying to ignore for the last few minutes.

“Ummm… you see….”

“Honda. Hiroto Honda.” Might as well just rip it off like a band aid.

The girl turned even redder than Yugi’s as she when on a spiel apologizing for the fact that they have the same last name, as if that was something that she could control. Great… everyone focusing on them. Like this couldn’t get any more embarrassing…

“Yuki! My daring brother!”

Apparently, he spoke too soon.

Coming right towards them, with a cosplay maid in tow, was another hit to his heterosexuality, in the form of a tall man with long hair down passed his hip, wearing some kind of jacket thing that he expects _Kaiba_ to wear. At least he knows it’s a guy right of the bat.

The man was promptly introduced as Ayame, as he cooed over the pissed-off Yuki. He gets that.

“What are you doing here?” he said with enough venom to kill a person.

“Ah, my dear Yuki. As much as I would like to say that this was planned, the truth is I was here to deliver an order to one of my esteemed customers.”

“Really?” the younger said in a patented ‘I don’t believe you for a single moment’ voice.

“Yes. He’s been quite the loyal fan. The esteemed Seto-“

“Shut up!”

Speak and the devil shall appear.

He took out his phone as Kaiba was shaking down the idiot as he continued to reveal that the ‘Great Seto Kaiba’ has his more _interesting_ clothes tailor made by this weirdo in a dress, or at least something that strongly resembles one.

“Are you recording thing?” the CEO said with a dark look as he finally noticed that he was filming, with a glare that promises death.

Yes, yes he was. Because he found something that Kaiba’s embarrassed about and like hell he was going to let _this_ slip away after all the awkwardness he had to deal with before.

“Give it here!”

The mad CEO lunged out at him as he did his best to play keep away with his phone. In fact, he almost got it before he made a split second decision to throw it at the cosplay maid, who proceeded to stuff the phone in her boobs. He almost moved to her before noticing all of the attention that they were get. Apparently when he dropped the designer, the bum and he did some kind of stupid gag that left the rest of their group speechless, and got every eye on the train platform to focus on this PR disaster in the making. He then gave an ugly glare to everyone there, including Yugi and Tohru, who honestly had nothing to do with this, before focusing back on him.

“What do you want?”

“Free tickets to for Kaibaland, however many we need, for however long we want.”

The look darkens to the point that if he could, he would torture him until he _wishes_ for death.

“….Fine.”

He then stalks off, like he wasn’t the one who came all this way just to make sure that his embarrassing secret was never revealed to the world. He give a thumbs up to the awesome maid, who returns it before giving him back his sweet, sweet blackmail. Now he has to copy this so Kaiba can’t just destroy the phone and not comp up.

“So, let’s get going, huh?” Yugi said to distract from the debacle that just happened.

And so, their group of ten went forth to the Kame Shop for dinner and plan making.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You may laugh at the amusement park of doom Arisa mention, but that was something that actually happened in the Yugioh manga , along with all the events mentioned by Saki. (the setting for both of these is their manga-verses with details taken from the anime when desired). And the game they were playing on the train is indeed real.  
> Honda does not take revenge often, but when he does, he is effective with it. Meanwhile, Mine _knows_ how embarrassed Kaiba is by it and she pissed off in a way that Ayame can be due to how oblivious he is to this animosity.  
> Also new head cannon, Ayame makes all of Kaiba’s ridiculous jackets. Seto hates how much he loves those jackets, and the man that made them.  
> And just so everyone in on the same page, Yugi doesn’t know that Kyo has the tendency to turn into a cat when he is hugged by someone of the opposite sex, and Kyo doesn’t know that has a time share on his body with an ancient Egyptian Pharaoh.


	3. Chapter 3

“So what are you guys going to make?” the tri-head said, an innocent smile on his face.

“Um, what?” Tohru asked, which is fair. I mean, who ask your _guests_ to make dinner.

Apparently, this kid (at least he looks like it, Carrot-top said that their the same age, but he looks younger than Momiji) does.

“Well, whenever we go to Kyo place, we usually make dinner that night, so, I just figured since you here and all?” He answered, putting his hand behind his head as he looked around all embarrassed. Damn, now she was starting to feel bad. Orangetop shares this embarrassment, but it somehow got the writer (and technical adult) into a fit of giggles.

“Oh, of course we’ll be happy to help. After all, you are hosting us so it would only be fair,” Tohru said with a smile, happy to be of help.

“And of course, I will create a fantastic desert for this joyous occasion of me, my dear Mine, and my beloved brother traveling to this fair city to paint this town in a menagerie of colors,” Yuki’s brother said with a flourish.

“You can cook?” Sharkfin spoke up.

“Aha, Of course I can, it is something that all beings can do,” he says as the prince tries to blend into the background, “But my baking is far better than anything else in my repertoire. I insist on making desert tonight, and every night that I am here with you.”

“So, you’re not staying, Aya?”

“Alas, Mine and I can only stay for a few days before we return to the shop. And we’ll be busy with Seto tomorrow, making sure that his outfits are perfect. But I’ll come in the evening to spend time with you and the others, Au revoir!”

They then split up to but their luggage in their hotels and rich client’s mansions representatively, with Yugi giving the dramatic weirdo his address. They then when to the market to get the ingredients for dinner, courtesy of Sohma’s deep pockets. It was a pretty nice place that they were in, close to the shop that doubles as a house according to the Mini-Punk that’s their host. Actually, now that she’s looking, there are a lot of foreign foods here, even some from Iran if she’s reading this right.

“Kyo, Yugi, what are you doing here?”

Arisa turned her head to see a short, brown-haired woman come up to the group. She assumes that that’s Mini-Punk’s mom from the look of things.

“Oh, we’re just getting the ingredients for dinner,” Mini-Punk said with a soft smile on his face, which reminds her of Tohru for some reason, “You know, our little tradition?”

Oh god, that dumbass is a magnet for naive dumbasses.

“Oh, well… you see… It was more because Kazuma….” The older woman nervously started, glancing at her son, before Tohru piped in to relieve the tension.

“Oh, it’s no problem at for us to help you. After all, you’ve allowed us to stay here, it’s the least we could do. I mean, we’ve brought along more people, so it’s only fair we help with the burden of helping you make dinner. That is, if you want to,” Tohru said in a panic before Hana saved the day and gave her a calming hug.

The older woman had the look about her like she wanted to say differently but didn’t want to offend Tohru. She kept her eye on her, ready for whatever she chose to say to her sweet, dumb angel of a best friend. It took a few moments but she got whatever was bugging her and accepted the help. Considering the sheer amount of people, Mama Mouto probably figured that she would need all the help she could get.

The trip went fast after that, with Ayame getting supplies for his ‘fabulous’ desserts that he planning for the week. (She reserves all rights to their quality until she tastes them.) After that, they chose to walk back together, which caused a few stares but that’s typical for them, for a variety of reasons.

***

Sugoroku sat at the counter, just like he did every other day. His daughter-in-law was out getting dinner, which she was making extra special since Yugi’s friend from out of town was coming over. He hopes she makes enough for leftovers. He always likes taking them and eating them on his lunch break. Maybe he could even as that Kyo to help him around. Last time he saw him he was growing into being a handsome man and he needs all the help he can get to get butts in the store. Especially pretty girl ones.

Well, it turns out that they had more people over than he thought, since the small armada that came in was led by Sakae. The ladies went straight into the kitchen while Yugi ran upstairs to get the game sheets for their big Monster World session at the end of the week. Kyo and his grey-haired cousin, Yuki, had apparently decided to help ladies in making dinner while Honda went to call his folks. Their cousin soon followed, sneaking around like many a child trying to get that one thing that their parents told them they can’t have. He’s seen his type before, the ones who have a large, lazy smile that’s a bit to calculated to be real, the kind who will pat you on the back just to stab you a few minutes later.

After all that, he went back to minding the shop. And not even a few minutes later, the pretty boy with who looked far too young to have grey hair comes out, followed by the bum in the kimono.

“Ohohoho, and what are you doing out here?”

The younger flinched, like he had done something wrong. It was much like what he saw something when he first met Kyo, a fidgety energy where he expected scorn and mockery. He had hoped that it was just Kyo’s father that was like that but it seems like horrible parenting is a Sohma family trait.

“We just figured that you would like some help out here,” he said with a plastic smile, trying to hide his anxiety.

“More like keep poor Tohru from dealing with your messes,” the bum added with an easy smile.

“Well, I think that it would be real _helpful_ of you if you set up the tables for dinner,” he pointed to the bum, who took the hint. Unfortunately, the youngster thought it was directed at him so he also moved to go.

“Now, now, I sure that your guardian can at least set the table without any help,” he said in a friendlier tone as he put an arm around the boy.

His eyes widen before he nodded. And just in time to, as girls from the street finally started to notice the looker in his shop. Heh, Otogi wasn’t the only one who can use a pretty face to get customers.

And after word got around, there had been a constant stream of girls coming in to checking out the handsome young Sohma that’s helping him out. He was even tempted to go in the back to get more stock before taking in the already frazzled boy and figured he would collapse if he wasn’t there. And at any rate, the rumors of him will boost sales for a bit after he leaves.

When they finally closed for the night, Yuki was a ball on anxious energy who looked like he just wanted to collapse.

He turned his eyes to the young man only to notice how lost he looked at that moment.

“So, is there any hobby you enjoy?”

They grey-haired boy twitched at that, taking a few moments to answer, as if he would judge him for it. He doubts that there is anything that Yuki’s done that could really shock him, but it’s really telling that he has to _think_ about his answer.

“I have a garden back home,” in a voice that sounds smooth to the average person, but he was able to detect the boy’s nervousness from all his years in the worst gambling halls in the world. That tremor where they bet all their chips but had no faith in their hand,

“Mmmm, must take a lot of time and patience,” he said in a soft tone, “but I bet you feel good when you see the fruits of your labors, or vegetables, if you’re into that sort of thing.” He finished with a smile on his face.

Yuki seemed to relax a bit after that, taking over for putting the stock on up on top. The silence that followed was relaxing, Yuki fill up the top shelves while he took care of the lower levels.

Of couse it had to be interrupted.

“Hiroto! Take your stupid dog!” Honda’s (their Honda’s, not the sweet girl that was so eager to please anyone she met, even a stranger like him) sister yelled as she came in with Blankey, the normally calm dog acting as excited as a pup for some reason.

“Oh, I thought that he was staying over for dinner?” he asked, more to distract her from going on the warpath than anything else.

“If he _is_ , he certainly never told me,” she said with a deadly smile on her face, Blankey still struggling against her leash.

“Oh, it seems we have a lovely guest.”

She loosened her hand at the sight of the bum, Blanky rushing over to him. He petted the German Shepard for a bit before putting the charm on Honda’s sister. She melted at the sight of him, which shows that she’s not used to the attention of handsome hustlers.

“Forgive me, I’m Shigure Sohma. My charges and I are here for to visit Yugi in this fine city, but I was never thought that there would be such beauties here. May I know your name?”

Honda’s sister stammered a bit before answering. He then got her to do the chore **HE** asked him to do hours ago. He gave a glance to Yuki, who showed just as much disapproval for his lazy cousin’s actions as himself.

They slipped back into the house and he almost thought that it was safe to go back to their task. Then Ayame came in.

***

Dinner was lovely, even with all the extra guests taking all the space possible in the kitchen/living room. Little groups formed; the girls talking amongst themselves, the flamboyant Sohma telling some story while his bum relation encouraged him, Honda’s sister enchanted by the two, while Yugi and Kyo catch up and Honda lending a sympathetic shoulder to the suffering Yuki. Sakae, for her part, was checking in on the desert that Ayame had loudly made earlier, well one of them. The first of the deserts, which was easily the least ornate, was a baker’s dozen of Café Con Leche Custard Cups, which were surprisingly good.

After that, he took a few moments to sit in his chair while Yugi explain the game that they were going to play with the rest of his friends, complete with the character sheets for them to make their own characters before drifting off for a bit. Until he heard a loud query.

“What the heck is this ‘Ka-something’?”

“Oh, the Katerin? It’s basicly a race of cat people. It’s part of the new expansion pack for Monster World, along with the Orcs, Banshees, Dinji, and a few other races for your character.”

This somehow dampened Kyo’s mood. He thought that Kyo liked cats. But whatever had made his mood worsen had turned around when that Tohru girl spoke.

“M-maybe I’ll be that. A katerin. One who was treated badly hi-her family, who has a bit of a short temper, but has a good heart and will always help out her friends,” she finished with a blush clear on her face.

Kyo’s face was just as red as he talked about his character, a kind fairy who always sees the good in everyone and supports his friends no matter what he is feeling at the time. Oh god, those two are in love with each other.

He looked at the rest of the group. Yuki was focused on the paper in front of him while Honda gave the other two girls a look that seems to question them about the obliviousness of those two lovebirds. He can’t really see their faces but judging from the sigh he gave, they just confirmed it. Yugi also seems to be oblivious to the romantic tension in the room.

He went back to his office to finishing the accounting for today. There was a bit of peace after that, the clink of rolling dice acting as a calming white noise while he continued counting his earnings. He was halfway through counting the stock sold when he heard another commission.

“The hell I can’t be a magic gunman!” yelled an alto voice. So, the blond one then.

“Because we already have a gunman! Me!” Honda shouted back.

“So, we can have two Martial Artist, but not two gunmen?”

“That’s different! And anyway, girls can’t be gunmen!”

“And where does it say that? Huh? Where in this book does it say that I can’t be a magic gunman”

“Listen, a gun is too… much like _that_ for any woman to wield one and still be seen as virtuous.”

“What kind of bullshit is that! This is a **F-A-N-T-A-S-Y GAME AND I CAN PLAY WHATEVER THE HELL I WANT!”**

 **“** Honda, no, not you Tohru _my_ Honda, just let her be a gunman,” Yugi interjected, stopping the argument from going any further.

“Fine.”

“ **Fine.”**

Things settled enough that he was able to complete his work and spend a few moments with the mismatched group before the out-of-towners go back to their hotels. In the end, Kyo was a cleric pixie-fairy named Onigirke, Tohru a martial artist katerin called Nyako, Hanajime was the diabolist Hana, a refuge birdtail hiding from her own kind, Utanio the human magic gunman Clint, and the princely Yuki chose to make the rude hobbit Nom-nom, a thief will no elegance and little regard for others. After dealing with a few moments of confused looks from his companions regarding his character, he coughed a bit before explaining his choices.

“Well… it is a role-playing game. So, I thought I could play someone… well… different.”

There was a pause before the group gave their sheets to Yugi, who also got a shot of the new players so Ryou could have enough time to make their figures. They parted with the bum, loon, and cos-player too back to their lodgings for the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually have a good reason why Ayame is a good/decent/can-make-more-than-instant-food cook. You see Yuki pretty much has spent his whole life under another’s supervision. Meanwhile, Ayame was constantly ignored. My idea is that sometime their parents go out and leave Ayame by himself, and as a form of independence/spite/being-hungry, Ayame learns to cook for himself. As for the desert thing, well… have you seen how pretty some of the desert they make out there!  
> Grandpa’s trying to help out these poor Sohma boys and Yuki’s trying to compute having an adult that’s kind to you for no selfish reason.  
> I have no idea why I had Yuki make Nom-nom but I stand by it. he acts perfect everywhere else, let him a terrible troll for a few hours.  
> Please comment below to guess what type of exhibits this unlikely battalion will see at the museum.


	4. Chapter 4

It was a sunny day while he and Anzu waited outside the Museum for Yugi and his guests. He would have liked to see them yesterday but he was working and he definitely needed the cash if he wanted to enjoy his break. It kind-of made him uncomfortable to know that he wasn’t Yugi’s first _guy_ friend. I mean, its not like this guy’s even in the prefecture but somehow this doesn’t change the weird feeling he has. Ryou was inside getting their tickets, which is a lot cheaper that it regularly was ‘cause most of them were students, but then again, the visiting tour group had at least one supervisor in the form of Kyo’s older cousin. Now what kind-of guy is this Sohma guy anyway? Yugi didn’t say much before he heard about this guy’s visit, and Honda’s been keeping a tight-lip about him and the others in the group. Like… is he a jerk who’s just using Yugi or is he a snob that’s only willing to be with him here because nobody knows him here? Or maybe _he’s_ just bias cause he can’t help but think of this guy like another Kaiba?

He got out of his head by the squeak from Anzu, followed by a loud slap. He turned to see some weirdo in a kimono on the ground and Anzu clutching herself.

“Oh my goodness, what happened?” shouted a brown-haired girl as modest as a church mouse as she tries to help the ground guy up.

“Whatever it is, he probably deserved it,” came the cold voice of a pretentious pretty-boy snob, at least that what he looks like in those fancy clothes. The redhead beside him looked a bit better, but he got the feeling that neither of those boys had ever had to eat cheap ramen ‘cause that’s all you can afford or sleep on a bench ‘cause your old man locked you out.

Two more girls came to calm down the brunette, one with hair as blond as his own and clothes like what he’d see gang girls wear and a goth of the highest order. And trailing right behind them was Honda.

“Hey, guys I see you’ve met our little tour group,” he chuckled before getting on with it, “So, the walking dumpster fire is Jonouchi, but we mostly call him Jou, and the raging gorilla is Anzu. And the white-haired guy getting the tickets is Ryou.”

Anzu gave him the nastiest glare. “Did you just call me a Gorilla?”

“Eh hehe, did I say gorilla? I meant beautiful lady.” He said backtracking to keep himself safe from the wrath of her fury.

“Anyway, girl Jou is Arisa, goth girl is Saki, sunshine is Tohru, the redhead is the _famous_ _Kyo Sohma_ , greylocks is Yuki, and the rug is Shigure,” Honda said in a brisk tone.

“Eh, are you still angry about last night?,” the goob said.

“The rug is Shigure,” Honda repeated, stepping on the man’s back. The heck did he do?

“Hey guys I got the tickets. Oh, and don’t worry about lunch, Father put in a cafeteria that’s really out there,” Ryou said with a cheery smile, cutting through the tension like an elephant.

“Oh, thank you so much. How much are the tickets?” Sunshine said.

“Oh, don’t worry about that. You’re the guests after all,” Ryou replied, still so cheery.

“Waahhh, that too much to as of you. Please, I insist,” sunshine answered back, rainclouds coming in as she panics over the gesture.

“Oh, no, it’s really no problem at all,” Ryou said back, still cheerily oblivious to the distress he’s putting on her.

“Heyheyhey, how abouz you pay fer lunch, if ya wanna pay us back so much?” he suggested, hoping that this would be a good compromise.

“Oh yes, of course,” she agreed and those clouds started blowing away.

Out of the corner of his eye he finally sees Yugi, done up like the funky child of punk and goth that he is, panting as he gave a subtle glare to the side. Seems like the Spirit decided to give Yugi some trouble getting here. He’d have to ask him the specifics later.

“Yeah, we’ll _all_ pay, right?” the other blond said, giving a glare at two boys in their group. They shot back a look that was offended that she would even think that they wouldn’t help Sunshine out. It kind of warms his heart that Honda thinks that they’re similar, especially when they go out of their way to help their friends.

“Anyway, let’s get going. I want to see a mummy before the day is through.”

Scratch that, Honda must be kidding to think the two of them are remotely alike.

They went in to the museum, where Yugi immediately lead them to the Ancient Egyptian section.

Why?

The Yankee looked at the creepy things, while Sunshine joined him in being as far away from the human jerky as humanly possible.

Orangie was staring a one of the exhibits with a look of awe. The fuck? He took a peek at what he was looking at only for it to be one of the creepy kitty mummies and an explanation about how the Egyptians use to worship the damn things.

“I see you found your favorite section,” Yug’ said in a teasing tone.

“The hell are you talking about?” Orangie asked, his form at easy around the smaller.

“Welll, I just so happen to remember more than a few times where your house had a horde of cats outside and how attached they are to you, sooo…..” Yug’ ended with a smug smile that looks like it fits the Spirits face rather than his own.

“Really, what about the time you tried to stop a training match because you were scared Sensei was hurting me?” he shot back.

“Hey, it was my first time seeing you two training. Cut me some slack,” Yugi answered back with a grin. He felt a twitch of jealousy at that, before shaking it off. It’s stupid for to think that way, especially since they don’t see each other much as is. Besides, they had plenty of adventures and dumb jokes of their own.

“You seem quite concerned.”

He screamed at that, oh god, one of the ghosts got him!!!!!

He slowly turned around to see the Lady in Black, with her emotionless stare.

“da fuck was dat fer! Ya scared the shit outta me!”

She gave a slight smile before motioning her head to the side.

“The rest of us had already left. Tohru and the others were worried that you didn’t come, so I volunteered to get you. Though to be honest, I’d rather skip the next exhibit.

“Which one is dat again?”

“Witches. It brings back bad memories.”

He took her in, everything about her looks just like what one would think of if they hear the word witch. But… he remembers when he was a kid and the others teased him for his blond hair, how he fought back, how it made the teacher think he was a punk, and with all the stress from home and the divorce and trying to prove them wrong, until it got too much and he just sank down and just did what people expected of him. And then there was Honda, who got him out of the gang but he still was a puck, and Yugi, who somehow saw some good in him even after all he did.

“Yeah, I get dat. Come on, I think dere’s a jazz exhibit after dat where we could meet up.”

She nodded.

They both went there, not talking much, but there seems to be a bit of understanding between the two of them, a comforting silence where you don’t need to say much to get that the other understands what you’ve been through. The Witch and the Punk.

***

They spit up a bit to after a while, look at interesting exhibits, with one or two of the Domino residents taking one from their group. Saki was grateful that her group did not have any of the boys with disturbing waves. No Kyo or Yuki, their waves have a mere undercurrent of something different.

Not like those two. Mouto and Bakura. It’s like there are two people crammed into one body, but one had the two waves play off each other, like instruments in a jazz session, two distinct voices and playstyles that create a soothing melody that touches the soul. The other… not so much. Like a stalker following the quiet young man, waiting for the perfect time to strike and smother the other’s soft strength. She’d almost assume they are spirits, but their waves seem far too strong and present compared to the faint, almost there feeling she gets whenever she is at a cemetery, or a place of sorrow and regret.

Her stomach rumbles.

“Ah, I guess we should meet up for lunch now,” her guide this time, Anzu if she remembers her name correctly, said, “How about we go there and I’ll get the others while you go get some lunch.”

They left the exhibit, one about the different dance styles around the world, and made their way to the cafeteria.

When they got there, they found that they were the last ones there, each of them with plates in front of them, each plate a different style then the other.

“Oh, Hana. It’s great to see you. I’m glad you’re enjoying things here,” Tohru said with a smile on her face, her plate half empty, a rice dish unlike any she had ever seen, with a split desert in front of her, a strudel from the looks of it.

“Yeah, I’m surprised that you’re not the first one here,” Arisa added in, also with half a plate, some fried fish with fries and a brown liquid that looks a bit like soy sauce, and another desert, a cake with carrots in it if the bit of frosting in any indication.

“Sorry, I guess I got too into seeing all the different dance styles,” Anzu said.

“Yeah, you really seem like the type,” Jou stated, both plates empty, which earned him a whack from the brunette.

She went to the lines as saw that in fact, there are many different choices for her to choose, each section dedicated to a different country. They even have deserts included in each section.

“Hey, don’t worry. You can have our leftovers if you can’t choose.”

“Hey! What about me?”

“You had Yuki’s. and Shigure’s. Just get another plate if you’re so hungry.”

“But you have food!”

Shigure chuckled at the two blonds argued, while Yuki and Honda shook their heads, though for very different reasons.

“Why are there so many choices anyway?” Honda asked.

“Oh, Father got the idea after one of the Museums that are in the capital of America. It was such a neat idea, that he decided to add it to Domino’s after he became director. I especially love that you can have a tour of the world on your plate, so to speak,” the white-haired boy of the group answered, a vacant smile and the undercurrent of dark waves on him.

She glanced at Kyo and Yugi, who were eating dishes of fish and hamburgers representatively.

“Thank you for the offer but I’d rather chose for myself,” she said before making her chose and joining her friends. She was quite happy to have finished not only her dish, but the desert she chose and the ones her friends saved for her. Jou was disappointed, even though he finished their plates and even went back to get a hamburger.

The day ended calmly, where they had simple dinner at Yugi’s place and prepared their lunch for their trip to Kaiba Land tomorrow. And Ayame came back to start making desert for tomorrow as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyone else notice the similarities in Jou and Arisa’a early life? (i.e. drunk dad, mom who went away, former gang member)  
> 
> 
> Also, the bits of cannon for this story are;  
>  Yugi: Hair dyed, natural eyes  
>  Ryou: natural hair, but wears brown contacts to hide that one of his eyes is blue  
>  Jou: all natural, his grandma was a Panpan girl so he has family in the states.  
>  Anzu: natural hair, contacts (she thinks blue eyes look better)  
>  Arisa: dyed hair, natural eyes (tried contacts for a while but they just hurt her eyes)  
>  Ryuji: natural hair and eyes (he was picked for his eyes when he was younger)  
>  Tohru: all natural (has no time/money to do anything crazy like that)  
>  Hanajime: natural hair, sometimes puts in purple contacts for the aesthetic  
> 
> 
> And of course, all the cursed Sohma’s have naturally weird hair colors/eye colors.  
> 
> 
> And if anyone wonders what they had, it was; Party rice (Tohru), Fish and chips(Arisa), Hamburger (Yugi), Herring & Rye bread (Kyo), Reuban (Ryou), Shepards Pie (Honda), Caprese Salad (Yuki), Nashville Hot Chicken (Hanajime), Ram-Don(Shigure), Anzu (Wedge Salad), and Jou, who had all the leftovers and Haggis (he was dared to eat it, he won).


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang goes to Kaiba Land.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *breaks through block*
> 
> Finally!

Anzu POV

She stretched her limbs as she waited outside the gates, Honda trying to get Kaiba to cough up the tickets he promised. She didn’t know how exactly he got the asshole to make such a promise but it seems that the stingy CEO is having second thoughts. No surprise there.

She brought her wrist up to check the time.

“Hi there.”

She turns to see Tohru walking towards her. The other brunette was wearing a modest blue dress, with pink ribbons in her hair. A cute outfit, but a bit too plain for her tastes. It seems like the outfit is a perfect description for her. Cute and plain. A great contrast to her two friends, the wild former gang member and a gothic lolita with a sonic expression. A kind, simple smile always present on her face, who earns the loyalty of all of her friends. Almost like Yugi.

“Hey.”

“Hm,” she said as Tohru looked up at her.

“So how exactly did you meet them?” she asked, curious about how they met. She was vaguely aware of Kyo before this trip, but it was more like an image of a person than anything concrete, a story Yugi mentioned every once in a while. She didn’t even know he had orange hair.

“Who?” Tohru asked, confused.

“You know, the Sohmas. How did you meet them?”

Her eyes widen as she finally got who she was asking about.

“Ohhhh!” she then fidgeted as the shorter girl figured out her answer, “Well, Yuki and I were classmates for our first year, but we weren’t _really_ close when we first met, I mean, he was the prince of the school and I was just… well… me. And that was fine, Utan and Hana were more than I could ever hope for as friends. But… then my mom died. It… it… it wasn’t good for a bit. I had to move in with my grandpa. Not… not that he was a bad person or anything, but it wasn’t Mom. And then… my aunt moved in with her family. So, the house had to be renovated. And I didn’t want to bother Hana or Utan. So I decided to camp in the woods for a bit. It was actually quite nice, my own little place after work. Only it turns out that I was camping on Sohma property. Not that I knew that at the time, of course, but it was really embarrassing to know you were trespassing without knowing it. And really I was quite lucky that the Sohma’s were so kind, because that day, there was a landslide and it completely covered my tent. And Shigure was so generous to offer me a place to stay. And even though Kyo punched through the roof when we first met, he really grew a lot since then. And both of them have been so kind at school, and walking me home after work, and helping me with homework and chores. And really all the Sohma’s are great once you get to know them.” She finished with a beaming smile on her face.

Oh god. This poor girl. This poor, dumb cinnamon roll of a human being.

She enveloped Tohru and just hugged the shit out of this sweet, dumb orphan.

“AHHH!!!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?”

“You didn’t deserve that. You didn’t deserve any of that. How the hell did you deal with all that?”

“AHHH!!! PLEASE DON’T!!!! IT’S REALLY NOTHING!!!” Tohru shouted, panicking in her arms.

“Hey, the hell are you doing?” Kyo asked, no real heat in his words, but full of concern for the sweet cinnamon roll in her arms, as well at a hint of envy. Really, Kyo, if he wants to hug her, he can get his chance when their home. Right now, she just wants to give this adorable idiot all the love she deserves.

“Probably some creepy friendship cult shit,” replied number five on her list of people to punch in the face as soon as she finds them alone, AKA Seto Kaiba, the biggest jackass of her school, which is saying something. (Her number 1 person to punch is Shadi, followed by Pegusus, Jou’s parents, and the pervert who made Honda’s nephew into such a creepy, creepy child.)

“Oh, is that any different from the dragon cult you’re apart of?” Kyo’s creepy cousin asked, the grin on his face far too jolly for an encounter with Kaiba.

“ _Tch_ , like you have any room to talk,” Kaiba sneered out while glaring at him, “Frankly, I’m surprised that you’re even let out of your cages. Or has your _master_ found someone new to play with?”

The creep cousin chuckled at that, but she swears that she caught a glace at something dark in his eyes before dismissing it. She doubts that he’s ever had any harder choice than what to choose for breakfast.

Oddly enough, the other two Sohma’s were also affected by that comment of Kaiba’s. She can see both the boys arms tense as if they were going fight the CEO in front of them. Jou has finally came to the gate and was always ready to brawl with Kaiba, and Honda looked like he was going to join in with how stubborn he was. It felt at any moment things were going to get bloody…

“Ah, My dear Seto, you never told me you had a younger brother!”

And just like that, the tension faded, while the eccentric man, who was somehow Yuki’s brother, came up with his cosplaying employee and Mokuba, wearing long blue Chinese-style robe that she swears Jou thinks is a dress. He goes up to Kaiba and gives him a hug, ignoring the way the man in his arms grows stiff as he talks about the virtues of being an older brother to the statue in his arms.

Jou, for his part, says nothing about his own older brother status and just commits to memory the sight of Kaiba misery in the face of over-the-top-ness that could even put Pegasus’s own antics to shame.

After a few more minutes in Ayame’s company, Kaiba just throws the tickets at them and stomps off to who knows where.

“So, what do you want to do first?” Yugi asked as they walked into the park, ready for anything that comes their way.

***

Shigure POV

It seems that for all his flaws, Kaiba’s got a good handle on entertaining, if nothing else.

He bought the photos of the kids, Kyo and Yuki both with a male passenger to make sure there weren’t any _accidents_ , which is quite fortunate because they were arms around the mini-hedgehog and rhino. Ayame, who was a bit of a toss-up, was getting lunch, a simple thing you’d expect from such places, while Mine was ogling the fanciful outfits for the main focus, Duel something.

Soon they were out of the haunted house, all shaken except for Hana-chan, who’s as composed as ever, and surprisingly the white-haired guy, who was enthusiastically detailing all the scenes again, what he liked and what could be done to make things _more_ frightening.

“Maybe we should go on a rollercoaster next!” he exclaimed, to the rejection of all.

“Perhaps after lunch,” he chuckled as they move to the picnic area, with families by the score milling around, a taste of normalcy that none of them really had, if his instincts are right. soon they were all sitting around the table, food pasted out as they talked about what rides and shows to do next, the enthusiasm palatable. And then a child came to their table, wide eyes on the shortest of their motley crew.

“Are you Mouto Yugi?” he asked in the kind of voice that you’d do for Santa, or a Sentai character.

Said Mouto blushed as red as the ketchup he was holding, before nodding, talking with the boy, which brought a menagerie of tykes to their table, with questions about magicians, dragons, and… Kuribos? Well, whatever it was it made the table a danger zone that had all the Sohma’s on high alert.

Soon the rest of his friends were trying to get corralled them away, whines and crying as the kid’s parents finally took their kids, apologizes to their group as they tried to explain that ‘yes, Yugi was there’, and ‘no, he’s here with his friends, trying to have fun’. Which got the attention of a whole _new_ group of hindrances.

They rushed out, security coming to their defense as the brats shouted for duels and signings and… was that a pair of panties?

They were taking a breath in one of the less crowded areas, away from the mob and the mess they were making, when Yugi spoke up.

“Sorry, I didn’t think things would go like that,” Yugi apologized, embarrassed by the whole affair, his hands playing with each other in a bid to ease his anxiety.

“The hell’s that for?” Arisa asked.

“Um, well, you see,” the apparent celebrity stalled, not sure how to explain, when the brunette stepped in.

“Yugi’s the ‘King of Games’, or at least the champion of the Duel Monster Circuit.”

Ah, that explains things.

“Oh wow,” Tohru exclaimed, enthusiastic as ever, “That’s so amazing!”

“Yes, it must have been quite the spectacle when you got it,” he teased, where he swears his eyes flashed red before the blond spoke up.

“Yeah, getting’ trapped on an island ‘nd winnin’ the creator of Duel Monster afte’ beatin’ Kaiba’s ass. ‘Nd don’t ya ferget it,” he said, so proud and protective of his friend, who was a bright red.

“It’s not that big, especially if you’re not into it,” he dismissed, where all his friends trying to state the opposite, including Kyo and Tohru, which shouldn’t have surprised him as much as it did.

Yuki looked out and told them the coast was clear, which interrupted the too sweet moment, which he was quite grateful for. He was never one much for sweets.

They decided to split up, with some going to the ‘Dark Magician Girl’s Free-Flying Adventure’ while the rest go to ‘Blue-Eyes Burst Stream’. He was able to take more than a few photos that will be great blackmail material someday.

He went over to a stall to get another camera when he heard his phone ring. Not a regular ring though. A ring that he made specifically for his most special person.

“Yes, Akito?”

“Where are you?” she said, in a tone so full of rage that he’s surprised that his phone hasn’t melted.

“Oh, just a little trip,” he said in a light and breezy tone, the kind that pissed Akito off.

“Where?” she shouted in that way that just gives him a thrill every time he hears it.

“Just visiting a friend of Kyo’s. we’ve been having a _great_ time. I promise to show you the pictures,” he said in his cheeriest voice before cutting the call, but not before he heard her scream out into the world.

He took a moment to savory this victory, this show that the cat had connections outside of the zodiac, that he could leave at any time. Something that he couldn’t even comprehend now in his current state but the possibility that he could would drive his dear into acting out in desperation. Soon the curse will break. And then… he’ll show her how much **He** cares for her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m not sure about you, but I’m pretty sure most people would want to adopt Tohru if they knew her. Anzu is no different.
> 
> If you’re wondering if Seto knows about the Sohma curse, the answer is no, but he does believe that the Sohma family acts like a cult, and frankly, he’s not wrong in doing so.
> 
> Also, Shigure is taking advantage of this trip to show Akito that even if she manages to break & mindwipe Thoru and lock Kyo up, there would still be people who would fight for him. 
> 
> No joke, but I could easily see Yugi & co. charging in to fight them to free Kyo if he was ever put into the cat room by Akito. _“I’ve killed one god already, what’s one more?”_ \- line from potential story dealing with this concept they I would likely never write.


End file.
